This invention generally relates to an apparatus for inverting and dumping acid or other liquids from the cases of lead acid batteries particularly automotive batteries.
One problem which occurs in the manufacture and maintenance of lead storage batteries for automotive use, is that of removing the electrolyte from the battery interior. For relatively small automotive batteries this can be done simply by removing the filling caps, inverting the battery over a suitable container and holding it in there until all of the electrolyte drains out. For small quantities of batteries this is the normal procedure. However, if this is a routine manufacturing operation, as in the fabrication of so called "damp charged" batteries, such manual operations are not only slow and labor intensive and therefore uneconomical but can be quite hazardous as well. As a result, there has been a desire to make this operation automatic, and a number of devices have been developed for this purpose.
When one looks at these devices, it is found that they all suffer from a variety of drawbacks. One in particular, is that they are not readily adapted to automatic high volume operation, particularly with batteries that have terminals coming out of the top. In other cases the means by which the battery is grasped and turned over to achieve such drainage have a distinct tendency to damage the battery by either cracking the case or breaking the seal around the electrodes. In other cases, the apparatus still requires some manual operation so that it creates a significant hazard to personnel working nearby. The subjection invention is designed to correct these problems, in that it operates both automatically and positively to control the discharge of the electrolyte with a minimum of hazard both to the battery itself and to personnel working nearby.